I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of

“I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will never again be lost. I believe that the sum of these truths, always increasing, will at last confer on man incalculable power and peace, if not happiness. Yes, I believe in the final triumph of life.”
Thus spoke Émile Zola, the great French novelist and crusader of truth, whose pen was both sword and torch. In these words, he unveils a vision that transcends his age—a faith not in gods, nor kings, nor fleeting pleasure, but in the enduring power of truth. To Zola, the world’s glittering pursuits—wealth, fame, and vanity—are but passing mirages. Only truth, slowly and painfully won, holds eternal worth. His creed is the creed of all seekers who have chosen light over illusion, and wisdom over comfort.

Zola lived in an age of turmoil—of industrial might and moral decay, of science clashing with superstition, of justice struggling against corruption. He saw how easily men were deceived by falsehood and how quickly societies bowed before the idols of wealth and fear. Yet amid the noise of deception, he believed in the slow accumulation of truth—that each discovery, each act of courage, each sacrifice for what is right adds to the great treasury of human progress. Though truth may be silenced for a season, it never dies. It merely waits, patient as dawn, until its hour comes again.

The proof of Zola’s own faith was written not only in words but in action. When the innocent soldier Alfred Dreyfus was condemned by lies and prejudice, Zola stood alone before the powers of his nation and cried out: “J’accuse!” His courage shook the world. He risked exile, disgrace, and death—but in defending one man, he defended the soul of justice itself. Through him, truth won another small victory, adding one more stone to the eternal fortress of understanding. And so he lived his own philosophy: that truth, once revealed, can never again be lost, and that in defending it, one serves life itself.

Zola’s declaration—“I believe in the final triumph of life”—is not a naive hope, but a heroic conviction. He knew that humanity stumbles, that darkness often reigns, and that illusion seduces even the wisest. Yet he saw beyond the ages of ignorance and cruelty to the slow ascent of the human spirit. He saw that each truth we uncover, whether in science, art, or morality, lifts the species one step closer to power and peace. Power not of domination, but of understanding; peace not of idleness, but of harmony between knowledge and conscience. Even if happiness remains uncertain, he believed that truth will one day bring mankind a serenity deeper than pleasure—a peace born of clarity.

The ancients, too, glimpsed this vision. Think of Socrates, who drank the hemlock rather than betray truth. Think of Galileo, who whispered “E pur si muove”—and yet it moves—while condemned by ignorance. Think of Newton, who gazed upon the cosmos and said, “I am but a child picking pebbles on the shore of an infinite sea.” Each of these men suffered or sacrificed for truth, yet their labors enriched all humanity. They understood, as Zola did, that illusion fades like mist before the sun, but truth endures as the very light of life itself. It is through truth that mankind ascends from blindness to sight, from chaos to order, from fear to freedom.

Let us, then, take this teaching to heart. In an age where noise and deceit abound, let us guard the treasure of truths—those precious insights earned through struggle, inquiry, and love. Let us seek knowledge not for vanity, but for the betterment of the soul and the world. Let us remember that every honest question, every courageous stand, every moment of integrity adds to the eternal edifice that Zola foresaw. For though the path of truth is long and the rewards slow, it leads always toward the triumph of life.

And so, to those who despair in the face of ignorance or injustice, remember this: the night may be vast, but every act of truth is a star that cannot be extinguished. The universe itself bends toward illumination, and the heart that seeks truth becomes its vessel. As Zola believed, so must we: that beyond the illusions of the moment lies the great inheritance of humankind—the power, the peace, and the final triumph of life itself.